West Toledo residents question sale of police station

TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) – Some west Toledo residents have a lot of questions about the city's plan to sell off the Northwest District Police Station, and say they do not want their sense of security to go away.

Residents see the station as a security blanket, and say they like knowing that a building housing police officers is in the neighborhood.

At a meeting of the Blessed Sacrament Block Watch Monday night, Fifth District City Councilman Tom Waniewski took questions about the possible sale of the building, which is located on Sylvania Avenue.

The city has put the property on the market, trying to generate some revenue for the general fund. The northwest station has been downsized in recent years, with operations being sent over to the safety building downtown and the Scott Park Station.

Waniewski says there is only a skeleton crew left there, and it might be time to close it up and sell the building. He says there is already a good offer on the table from a company that wants to build a vocational or technical school.

"I try to tell the neighbors that it's nice to have a building but I would rather see the human touch, the police officers on the street, roaming this great neighborhood here and that's really mitigating the crime happens, right there on the street," Waniewski said.

Waniewski says he hasn't made up his mind yet on what to do about selling the building. Council could vote on June 19. Safety Director Shirley Green has said if it is sold, it could actually get safer there, because of officers being on patrol and not staying in a building.

A 24-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly confessed to intentionally ramming a police vehicle with his car. He told police he did it because he wanted to be arrested. "He told police that he wantedMore >>

A 24-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly confessed to intentionally ramming a police vehicle with his car. He told police he did it because he wanted to be arrested.More >>